IAFF Local #2045

Author: Geoffrey MIller

  • Fire Prevention Activities Continue At Penn Township Assisted Living Facility

    Fire Prevention Activities Continue At Penn Township Assisted Living Facility

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    The day’s fire prevention activities continued with fire extinguisher training for the staff of Columbia Cottage of Hanover. Many businesses throughout Hanover Borough, Penn Township, and West Manheim Township conduct annual in-service fire extinguisher training for their employees. Utilizing the Bullex system (shown) allows efficient and environmentally responsible extinguisher training. Here, FF Charlie Hale directs a staff member on extinguisher use while FF Jason Kopp runs the control system. 

  • Fire Extinguisher Training At Penn Township Business

    Fire Extinguisher Training At Penn Township Business

    IMG_20151014_101539758_HDR-01[1]This morning, Penn Township staff from the Clover Lane station handled fire extinguisher training at Finch Services, located on Frederick Street. October continues to be a busy month with multiple fire prevention, extinguisher training, and inspection activities.

  • C Shift Training

    C Shift Training

    IMG_20150920_104526243[1]This morning, HFD/PTFD “C Shift” met at Wirt Park Fire Station to conduct regular shift-level training. Today’s training consisted of salvage cover throws and a rarely used skill, constructing a “water chute” using pike poles and tarps. The purpose of this type of chute would be to channel water away from one place and redirect it to another. Such an instance might be found with a water leak coming through a ceiling. For this training evolution, water had to be channeled to a floor drain. HFD and PTFD fire staff conduct routine shift-level training to maintain proficiency in basic skills as well as learn new information and skills.

  • Annual Aerial And Ground Ladder Testing

    Annual Aerial And Ground Ladder Testing

     

    On this late summer day at Fire Station 49, aerial and ground ladder testing and certification was conducted by a third-party firm on Truck 46, Truck 49, and all ground ladders. The purpose of this testing is to ensure that the aerials and ladders meet the prescribed safety and loading requirements. NFPA 1911 (a national consensus standard) recommends annual aerial ladder testing and certification. NFPA 1932 (another national consensus standard) recommends annual ground ladder testing and certification.

  • Remembering 9/11

    Remembering 9/11

    IMG_20150911_084615825-01[1]14 years after the horrific terrorist attacks of September 11, 2011, 46/49 fire and EMS crews as well as command staff took time to pause and remember those responders who gave their lives. On that fateful day in New York City, 343 FDNY firefighters, 23 NYPD officers, 37 PAPD officers, two FDNY paramedics, nine NY state private paramedics and EMT’s, and one New York Fire Patrol firefighter gave their lives in the line of duty. To this day, emergency responders and members of the public continue to perish due to related illnesses from the NYC incident. The physical and emotional impact of the events that day live long past the actual events themselves. We also remember those civilians/military personnel that were killed in New York City, Shanksville, PA, and the Pentagon. A big “thank you” goes out to Reverend Scott Sager who offered a poem and prayer reading.

     

    “Time is passing. Yet, for the United States of America, there will be no forgetting September the 11th. We will remember every rescuer who died in honor. We will remember every family that lives in grief. We will remember the fire and ash, the last phone calls, the funerals of the children.” – President George W. Bush

  • Off-site Facility Tour At Crown Cork And Seal

    Off-site Facility Tour At Crown Cork And Seal

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    This morning, Hanover Fire and Penn Township Fire “C” Shift attended an off-site facility tour at Crown Cork and Seal located on Broadway in Penn Township. At the request of the facility safety supervisor, he wanted the fire department to come out to review permit-required confined space equipment. We also took the time to review fire safety features such as fire department connections to support the building’s sprinkler system, fire hydrant locations, and other fire safety features of the building. This type of pre-planning allows crews to get a look at these features should an emergency arise at the facility. It is often said that “When the moment of truth arrives, the time for preparation has passed”. These types of visits allow us to prepare should our services be needed.

    * Note: this facility requires all visitors to wear safety vests, hair nets, hearing protection, eye protection and gloves when touring their facility.

  • Hanover/Penn Fire And EMS Crews Treated To Olive Garden Lunch

    Hanover/Penn Fire And EMS Crews Treated To Olive Garden Lunch

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    Today, in honor of Labor Day, Olive Garden donated lunch to the fire and EMS crews working in Penn Township and Hanover Borough. We would like to thank the Olive Garden (located at 10 Wilson Ave. in the Gateway Shopping Center) for their gracious donation. Our thanks go out to the staff who prepared the meal as well as Olive Garden, at the corporate level, who provides these donations country-wide on Labor Day.

    News story: Olive Garden honors First Responders on Labor Day

    Rich, the gentleman in the center and an Olive Garden employee, was a victim in the recent Hanover/Penn arson spree. He was particularly thankful for the rapid response of crews when his occupied townhouse was struck by fire.

  • “Maintenance Monday”

    “Maintenance Monday”

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    Mondays in the Hanover and Penn Township Fire Department are typically reserved for vehicle and equipment maintenance. In addition to the other daily and weekly tasks the staff are tasked with, they perform routine weekly maintenance on the vehicles and equipment. This includes, but is not limited to: fluid checks, portable equipment checks, fixed equipment checks, aerial and pump exercising and a host of other routine checks. These checks allow for the equipment to be exercised and for maintenance issues to be dealt with. At a moment’s notice any piece of equipment in the HFD/PTFD fleet could be called into action. It is essential that this equipment is maintained in a state of readiness at all times. Below, FF/EMT Kopp checks the engine fluids on E49-1.

  • Southside Crews Tackle Saturday Cleanup

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    Southside (FS49) fire and EMS crews took on the customary Saturday house chore of pulling all the fire and EMS apparatus out and hosing down/scrubbing/cleaning the apparatus bays. Mother Nature blessed the crews with an atypical August morning of low humidity and temperatures.

  • Homewood Mens’ group tours FS 49

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    This morning, Fire Station 49 staff hosted a tour for a Mens’ group from Homewood Living Community which is located in Penn Township. Captain Miller, FF Angel, and FF Brown gave a complete station tour explaining all facets of the operation to the roughly 35 attendees. The group was very inquisitive and impressed with our operation. FF Kemmerly from Fire Station 46 activated box 1223 from the Hanover Fire Museum so we could demonstrate how the Gamewell system operates.